ORIGINAL_ARTICLEA Needs-based Evaluation of EAP SyllabusesThe main purpose of the present exploration was to see if EAP syllabuses have been developed based on reading comprehension needs of undergraduate students. To this end, 656 undergraduate students, 75 graduate students, 150 post-graduate students, 75 content teachers and 30 EAP teachers of fifteen randomly selected academic disciplines filled in a needs analysis questionnaire. To triangulate the quantitative data, open ended questions, informal conversation, classroom observation and content analysis of the syllabuses were implemented. The results showed that all of reading comprehension needs were considered either ‘important’ or ‘very important’ and there were statistically significant differences among sub-skills and strategies of reading comprehension needs. Classroom observations showed that EAP classes in reality do not cater for undergraduates reading comprehension needs restricted to text translation and mother-tongue equivalents of general and specific words. More importantly, it was found that EAP syllabuses have not been fully developed based on reading comprehension needs of undergraduate students. Implications and suggestions for redesigning EAP syllabuses are discussed.http://journalscmu.sinaweb.net/article_57818_d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e.pdf2017-10-01T11:23:202018-03-19T11:23:20721Needs analysissyllabus designESPEAPSayyed MohammadAlavismalavi@ut.ac.irtrue1Department of English language and literature, Faculty of foreign languages and literatures, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.Department of English language and literature, Faculty of foreign languages and literatures, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.Department of English language and literature, Faculty of foreign languages and literatures, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.LEAD_AUTHORShivaKaivanpanahshkaivan@ut.ac.irtrue2Department of English language and literature, Faculty of foreign languages and literatures, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.Department of English language and literature, Faculty of foreign languages and literatures, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.Department of English language and literature, Faculty of foreign languages and literatures, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.AUTHORYoonesTaaseyoonestaase@ut.ac.irtrue3Department of English language and literature, Faculty of foreign languages and literatures, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.Department of English language and literature, Faculty of foreign languages and literatures, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.Department of English language and literature, Faculty of foreign languages and literatures, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.AUTHORORIGINAL_ARTICLEOn the Impact of Intensive/ Reactive Performance on EFL Learners’ Listening Comprehension AbilityListening comprehension plays a significant role in developing foreign language learning and it can be considered as a useful skill to gain sufficient comprehensible input. The current research sought to explore the effectiveness of using reactive/ performance versus intensive one on Iranian intermediate English learners’ listening comprehension ability. It was carried out at Kish English Language Institute in Tehran among 60 intermediate female learners with the age range of 10-19 through a quasi-experimental research design. The participants were assigned into two groups. First, the pretest was administered to each group. The test was taken from the book ‘Four Corners’. Then, one group was exposed to intensive performance and the other group received reactive performance. After ten sessions, a post-test that was the parallel form of the pretest, was administrated to the both groups. Finally, the data were analysed using an independent and paired samples t-tests. Results showed that teaching listening based on intensive performance had a significant effect on learners’ listening comprehension. The findings may have some useful implications for language teachers.http://journalscmu.sinaweb.net/article_58193_d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e.pdf2017-10-01T11:23:202018-03-19T11:23:204157Intensive performance Listening ComprehensionListening Comprehension StrategyReactive performanceParisaFarrokhfarrokh_p@yahoo.comtrue1English Translation Department, Lahijan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Lahijan, IranEnglish Translation Department, Lahijan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Lahijan, IranEnglish Translation Department, Lahijan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Lahijan, IranLEAD_AUTHORORIGINAL_ARTICLEOn the impact of teaching experience on EFL instructors’ self-assessment of their instructional effectivenessTeaching experience exerts a remarkable influence on instruction quality. The present study explores the role teaching experience plays in EFL university instructors’ self-assessment (SA) accuracy and its congruence with students’ assessment of it. Furthermore, it delves into the instructors’ perceptions of how their SA of instructional effectiveness is altered as they obtain experience in their career. To this end, 106 EFL instructors’ SA of their instructional effectiveness was compared to that of their 630 students. To this end, two versions of a questionnaire were administered to the instructors and their students. The findings suggest that the highly experienced (Hex, with over 21 years of experience) instructors’ SA, unlike their relatively less experienced colleagues, i.e. less experienced (Lex, with 1-10 years of experience), and moderately experienced (Mex, with 11-20 years of experience), significantly diverges from their students’ assessment. The statements of thirty-three interviewed instructors shed more light on the reasons behind such divergence besides the probable causes of instructional effectiveness erosion among Hex instructors. They blamed the students’ and instructors’ getting no education on accurate evaluation of teaching, adverse conditions dominating the higher education such as lack of standard hiring and evaluation system, job-burn-out and bias. The findings of this research can potentially contribute to EFL university instructor assessment, professional development, and education. Key terms: self-assessment (SA), teaching experience, instructional effectiveness, student assessment of instructional effectivenesshttp://journalscmu.sinaweb.net/article_57819_d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e.pdf2017-10-01T11:23:202018-03-19T11:23:202340self-assessment (SA)teaching experienceinstructional effectivenessstudent assessment of instructional effectivenessHakimehPourjamal Ghouyjaghhkh_pourjamal@yahoo.comtrue1English Language and Literature department, Faculty of Literature, Alzahra University, Tehran, IranEnglish Language and Literature department, Faculty of Literature, Alzahra University, Tehran, IranEnglish Language and Literature department, Faculty of Literature, Alzahra University, Tehran, IranAUTHORElahehSotoudehnamaesotoude@alzahra.ac.irtrue2English language and literature department, Faculty of literature, Alzahra university, Tehran, IranEnglish language and literature department, Faculty of literature, Alzahra university, Tehran, IranEnglish language and literature department, Faculty of literature, Alzahra university, Tehran, IranLEAD_AUTHOREsmailFaghihe_faghih@azad.ac.irtrue3English language and literature department, Faculty of literature, Alzahra university, Tehran, IranEnglish language and literature department, Faculty of literature, Alzahra university, Tehran, IranEnglish language and literature department, Faculty of literature, Alzahra university, Tehran, IranAUTHORORIGINAL_ARTICLEExamining the Generic Features of Thesis Acknowledgments: A Case of Iranian MA Graduate Students Majoring in Teaching to Speakers of Other Languages (AZFA) and TEFLThesis acknowledgment is a written genre in which MA graduate students offer their gratitude to individualswho have contributedto the completion of their study. The aim of the current study was to examine the thesis acknowledgments written by Iranian MA students in the field of Persian Language Teaching to Non-Persian Speakers (Amouzeshe Zaban e Farsi be Kharejian, AZFA) and TEFL in terms of their generic structures, linguistic choice, preferred authorial subject, and acknowlegees. To this end, 41 (20 in AZFA and 21 in TEFL) thesis acknowledgment texts were selected. The corpus was analyzed with reference to Hyland’s (2004) generic structure pattern, Hyland andTse’s (2004) linguistic choice framework, and Yang’s (2012) category of the acknowledgees and subject types. The results showed that, on the whole, Hyland’s (2004) three-tier structure has been employed in both disciplines. However, five other moves/steps were discovered throughout this study, namely, praising God and His Prophet (PBUH), thanking God, blessing, and closing/signing off. In both disciplines, the most acknowledged individuals were advisors. Both groups selected the first person subject “I” to extend their thanks. Besides, both groups consented in using “nominalization” pattern as the linguistic realization of their gratitude. Although the texts analyzed demonstrated variations in the texts, the fixed conventions of theses genre systems suggest that teachers can help their students by raising their awareness of these conventions and showing them how to best construct their academic identity. Finally, additional studies are needed to complement this research. http://journalscmu.sinaweb.net/article_59547_d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e.pdf2018-03-01T11:23:202018-03-19T11:23:205875Thesis acknowledgementsTEFLAZFAgeneric structureacknowledgeesMasoomehEstajimestaji74@gmail.comtrue1Allameh Tabataba&#039;i UniversityAllameh Tabataba&#039;i UniversityAllameh Tabataba&#039;i UniversityLEAD_AUTHORFatemehNosratinosrati.fatima@gmail.comtrue2Allameh Tabataba&#039;i University, Tehran, IranAllameh Tabataba&#039;i University, Tehran, IranAllameh Tabataba&#039;i University, Tehran, IranAUTHOR